Train positioner and interlock assembly



Feb. 16, 1965 M. J. BAUER ETAL TRAIN POSITIONER AND INTERLOCK ASSEMBLY Filed July 31, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. I

I INVENTORS Myron J. Bauer Judson C. Higgins BY M W ATTORNEY Feb. 16, 1965 M. J. BAUER ETAL 3,169,444

TRAIN POSITIONER AND INTERLOCK ASSEMBLY Feb. 16, 1965 M. J. BAUER ETAL 3,169,444

TRAIN POSITIONER AND INTERLOCK ASSEMBLY Filed July 31, 1963 4- Sheets-Sheet 3 United States re This invention relates to a missile launching system having a launcher arm mounted on a rotatable base ring which is positioned, by a stationary stand, above a rotatable magazine having two separate rings of missiles (inner and outer ring), and, more particularly to the positioning of the base ring to allow loading of missiles from either ring of missiles in the magazine.

In missile launching systems of this type, where the magazine is located below the launching arm and the missiles are stowed in a vertical position, the magazine is rotated to bring the missiles, one at a time, into a loading position. The base ring, which carries the launching arm, is rotated to allow the missiles to be loaded at either the inner or outer ring.

There must be an exact alignment between the track supporting the missiles in the magazine and the track on the base ring, otherwise, the missile being loaded will jam and result in damage to the system.

In this system, to which the present invention applies, the base ring, which carries the launching arm, also carries a short section of track called the fixed rail which aligns with the magazine track at either of the two load positions. The magazine is rotated to bring a missile into the load position while the base ring is rotated to bring the fixed rail into alignment with the tracks supporting the missile.

The base ring and launching arm as a unit is of considerable weight, rotates rapidly and is stopped quickly. The mechanism which aligns the base ring to the magazine must be rugged enough to force the base ring into alignment at either of the two load positions.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mechanism which will repeatedly align the rotatable base ring with the retractable rails to bring the magazine-carried-missiles to a transferring position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a train positioner and interlock assembly which carries a latch mechanism to engage the rotatable base ring and to position the base ring for transfer of the missile and to securely lock the base ring in that position during the transferring operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrically controlled, hydraulically operated latching and locking mechanism for holding missile transferring equipment in position.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a control mechanism used to cooperate with and control the extending or retracting of a latching mechanism, which said control mechanism is actuated by a base ring which is also engaged by the latch.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diametric view of the train positioner and interlock assembly;

FIG. 2 is a diametric view of the train positioner interlock valve;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the train positioner hydraulic mechanism in the extended condition of its cycle of operation;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the train positioner in the retracted condition of its cycle of operation:

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the missile launcher with the wall of .the housing cut away to show the missile magazine and the missiles.

The train positioner and interlock assembly are fastened to the bottom of the stand adjacent to the rotating base ring. It comprises two valve blocks joined by the adapter block.

One valve block contains the positioner latch piston and the extend and retract latches. The extend and retract latches lock the latch which is pinned to the positioner latch piston. The latch itself is connected to the piston-through an intermediate link. The latch slides back and forth in a separate latch block fastened to the stand. The latch engages one of two detents: the inner ring detent is mounted under the half of the base ring which contains the blast door, and the outer ring detent in mounted under that half of the base ring which contains the rotary pump. The other valve block contains the three-land positioner directional valve, its sleeve, a helical compression spring, and a spring retainer.

Connected to and working to actuate the latch is a train positioner interlock valve which is carried by the train positioner latch block near the base ring periphery. The purpose of the positioner interlock valve is to prevent actuation of the positioner latch until it is aligned with the detent. Its valve block contains the valve sleeve, the spring, and the two-land plunger. This plunger terminates in a clevis-like end which mounts a roller that contacts an actuator mounted to the inner and outer ring detents. On the other end, the sleeve is closed with a spring guide.

The launcher carriage, along with all its components, is free to rotate in an unlimited train movement. The base ring is provided with external teeth along its periphery, and these teeth mesh with a pinion driven by the train power drive. During an emergency the launcher power drive may be operated by a manual pump, and the solenoids in blast door solenoid housing may be shifted by the use of special tools.

Referring to FIG. 5, a missile launcher is illustrated, having a housing 1 in which a rotatable magazine 2 is mounted. The magazine is rotated to bring a single missile in either an inner or an outer circle of missiles below the launcher arm 3. The launcher arm 3 is supported on a rotatable base 4. Rotation of this base 4 brings the launcher arm directly above the selected missile in either the inner or the outer circle of missiles. The missile is then loaded onto the arm and the launcher arm is trained by rotating the base 4 and elevated for firing.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the train positioner and interlock assembly comprise a pair of valve blocks 7 and 8, respectively, joined by an adapter block 9.

The block 7 houses the positioner directional valve 11 which is made up of a valve plunger 12 sliding in a valve sleeve 13 under the influence of a hydraulic pressure to open and close hydraulic ports leading from the positioner pilot valve to the latching and locking mechanism as will be hereinafter described. The valve block 8 houses the positioner latch piston 15 and the lock pistons 16 and 17, respectively, which lock the positioner latch piston in an extended or retracted position.

The position latch piston is formed with a clevis 18 to which a latch 19 is connected through an intermediate link. Thus, a movement of the positioner latch piston through hydraulic mechanism is transferred to reciprocating motion of the latch to lock the base ring in missile transferring position.

The shaft of the positioner latch piston is provided with a projecting portion which is disposed rearwardly of the piston and has formed thereon a locking block 22. The locking block has a shoulder 23 (FIG. 3) and a shoulder 24. These shoulders are engaged to hold the latch respectively in extended and retracted position.

The extended piston latch 16 carries a shaft 25 which is moved under spring influences to engage with the shoulder 23 of the locking block to prevent retraction of the latch and hold the latch in extended position. Likewise, the retracted piston latch 17 has a shaft'26 which moves with the retract piston to engage the shoulder 24 of the lock block to hold the latch in retracted position.

The stand is provided with a base ring 31 which rotates independently of the magazine and carries an outer ring detent 32 and an inner ring detent 33 which are selectively engaged by the latch to hold the base ring in position to transfer a missile from either the outer ring or the inner ring of missiles in the magazine. The base ring carries an actuator cam 34 adjacent to the outer ring detent 32 and a similar actuator cam 35 adjacent to the inner ring detent 33. These actuator cams 34 and 35, while shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as apart from the detents 32 and 33, are actually positioned on the centers of their respective detents.

The train positioner interlock valve (FIG. 2) comprises a valve sleeve 41 mounted in a valve block 42 and a two-land plunger 43 which is biased by a coil spring 44. One end of the plunger 43 is provided with a clevis 45. Mounted in the clevis is a roller '46 which is adapted to engage either of the actuator cams 34 or 35 to move the plunger for port covering or uncovering in the valve sleeve thereby to control the flow of pressurized fluid.

The operation of the train positioner will be described without tracing the particular hydraulic lines or the electric circuits. These lines and circuits will be established but not described in detail as they are ordinary circuits or hydraulic lines and their construction forms not part of this invention.

The stand of the missile launcher assembly is that part of the magazine which overlies the missile storage part and supports the launcher arm. This stand is regarded as stationary in that it does not move during the loading or firing of the missile. The train positioner is attached to the lower surface of the top plate of the stand and is also stationary. The base ring, which is mounted on the stand, supports the launcher arm and trains or rotates through 360 degrees. This base ring is located above the stand and covers approximately one-quarter section of the stand. The base ring is formed with two detents which are engaged by the latch of the train positioner to hold the launcher arm in position to receive the missile from the magazine.

The purpose of the train positioner and the interlock assembly is to extend the latch when the base ring arrives at the inner or outer ring detent position. At this position the actuator cam which is in line-with either the outer or inner ring detent contacts the roller 46 on the end of the train positioner interlock valve and causes it to overcome the pressure of spring 44 to permit passage of pressure fluid through the valve (FIGS. 3 and 4).

A solenoid housing 51 houses the train positioner extend and retract solenoids 52 and 53, respectively. When solenoid 52 is energized, switch 54 is actuated and pilot valve 55 is shifted. Pressurized fluid is ported through positioner interlock valve 42 to the bottom of position directional valve plunger 12. This valve is shifted to overcome the pressure of spring 14 and ports servo pressure to retract latch valve 17. The latch 26 is pulled and switch 57 is deactuated. Servo fluid under pressure then moves positioner latch piston 15 and its attached latch 1? forward into the detent (which may be either the outer ring detent or the inner ring detent). The extend latch 25 then drops behind hte shoulder 23 under the force of the spring and actuates interlock switch 58. The latch is now in the detent and firmly locked in position.

To retract the latch and the latch piston, solenoid 53 in the train positioner solenoid housing is energized (FIG. 4). Interlock switch 59 is actuated and positioner pilot valve 55 is shifted to port servo fluid under pressure to the bottom of extend latch piston 16. The latch 25 is then withdrawn and switch 58 is deactuated. Servo pressure is now free to move positioner latch 19 out of its detent. Retract latch 26 then drops into the shoulder 24v under the force of its spring and actuates interlock switch 57.

This completes the cycle of the operation of train positioner latch and interlock assembly from retract position to extend position and back to retract position.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

In a missile launching system having a rotatable magazine and a launcher arm to which missiles are transferred from said magazine, the combination of a base ring carried by said magazine with train positioner and interlock assembly, said train positioner comprising:

a substantially stationary block base;

a latch piston mounted in and reciprocable in said base;

a latch carried by said latch piston;

means for moving said latch piston and said latch selectively to an extend or a retract position;

latch locking means associated with said latch piston for locking said latch piston and said latch in either of said extend or retract positions;

latch engaging means carried by said rotatable base ring adapted to be engaged by said latch. when in extend position;

a detent carried by said rotatable base ring in spaced predetermined position relative to said latch engaging means; and

a cam connected to valves controlling said latch locking means, said cam being engaged by said detent to actuate said controlling valves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Examiner, 

